French Open tennis - Fifth seed Elina Svitolina beats Ann Li in game of two sets to reach third round

Updated 03/06/2021 at 12:39 GMT

The 26-year-old Ukrainian kept alive her chances of winning a first Grand Slam title by beating the American 6-0, 6-4 in a game of two differing sets. Svitolina easily wrapped up the opener inside half an hour but Li raised her game in the second, forcing her higher ranked opponent to come from a break down to take the match.

Highlights: Svitolina crushes Li to reach third round at Roland Garros

Elina Svitolina despatched of American Ann Li in straight sets to reach the third round of the French Open.

The fifth seed and three-time quarter-finalist at Roland Garros kept alive her chances of winning a first Grand Slam title by winning 6-0 6-4.

Svitolina raced through the first set, needing just half an hour to take it 6-0 as Li struggled to find her feet playing in the second round at Roland Garros for the first time.

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The Ukrainian broke in the opening game to 30 and was relentless from then on - although there were signs the former Wimbledon junior runner-up was working her way back into the match in a 10-minute fifth game, which Svitolina eventually took to secure a third break of serve after a back and forth deuce exchange.

But Svitolina found things tougher in the second set, as Li emerged from her chair looking like a completely different player.

Li got the confidence boost she needed by getting on the scoreboard straight away, before breaking to 15 and consolidating that to go 3-0 up. The American looked on course to take the match to a decider, until a visibly frustrated Svitolina broke back in the seventh game of the set - eventually solidifying that with a nervy service game to make it 4-4.

Focused restored, Svitolina broke to 15 and duly served out to secure her place in the third round, where she will take on either Ekaterina Alexandrova or Barbora Krejcikova.

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Watch all the action from the 2021 French Open live on Eurosport, eurosport.co.uk and the Eurosport app with 13-time champion Rafael Nadal eyeing a remarkable 14th title at his favourite event and 2020 Roland Garros sensation Iga Swiatek aiming to replicate her stunning triumph in Paris.

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